SUN JOURNAL • October 9, 2021
The Wild West had its collection of fast guns that are part of legend: Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and Pat Garrett to name a few. What about back East? Maine did have one fast gun. You don’t hear much about him. Born on Chebeague Island off our rocky coast, he wound up as a teenager in Rangeley working as a bellhop and a part-time fishing guide. His name was William “Billy” Hill. Annie Oakley, the iconic competitive shooter who had no peers when it came to precision marksmanship, showed up at, of all places, the Rangeley Lake House on a holiday. Billy was offered up by his friends in a challenge match with Oakley. Billy became the first person to ever best the Great Annie Oakley in a shooting contest. ~ V. Paul Reynolds